Useful tips on how to clean aluminum cookware at home

Aluminum pots and pans, like many years ago, remain an unchanged part of kitchen utensils in every home.

Despite all the positive characteristics, this practical and convenient tableware darkens and loses its luster over time.

Numerous time-tested folk remedies or household chemicals will help restore the original appearance of aluminum cookware.

We will tell you in this article how you can and cannot clean aluminum cookware.

Folk remedies for cleaning

Aluminum cookware requires delicate care (metal is very easily deformed). Using proven folk cleaning methods with improvised means, you can not only quickly and carefully remove dirt from the surface of kitchen utensils, but also save a considerable amount of money.

Salt

Salt will help clean the bottom of an aluminum pan from burnt milk. It's simple: fill the pan with water, add 2 tbsp. salt.

The brine solution is boiled over low heat for at least thirty minutes, then remove from the stove and leave aside for three hours.

During this time, the layers of burnt milk will move away from the surface of the pan and all that remains to be done is to wash the dishes under warm running water.

If you don't have table salt on hand, baking soda is a great substitute.

Mustard powder, salt, vinegar

A proven folk remedy can clean burnt food and greasy stains - mixtures of mustard powder, table salt and table vinegar.

The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions, the resulting paste is applied to the contaminated surface and left for fifteen minutes. Afterwards, wash off the dishes under running water.

Coca Cola

Phosphoric acid in the carbonated drink Coca-Cola cleans any dirt from the surface of aluminum pans and pots without leaving a trace.

Cream of tartar

The solid residue that forms at the bottom of wine barrels, cans or bottles is an excellent cleaning agent for aluminum pans and pots.

Place the cream of tartar on the bottom of a dirty dish, fill it with water and put it on the stove to boil.. As soon as the liquid boils, remove the dishes from the stove, drain the cooled water and wipe the already cleaned surfaces dry with a soft paper napkin.

Table vinegar

Acetic acid dissolves any, even very old, stubborn dirt.

All you need to do is fill an aluminum bowl with water, add 5 tbsp. vinegar and boil the resulting solution for 1.5 hours.

Only table vinegar (9%) is suitable for cleaning.. Vinegar essence cannot be used, as it dissolves not only burnt food, but also the walls of aluminum cookware.

Oxalic acid

Dissolve 1 tsp in five liters of water. oxalic acid. Dirty aluminum kitchen utensils are immersed in the resulting solution and left for twelve hours. Afterwards, take out the dishes, rinse them under warm running water, and wipe them dry.

Onion

Onions will help quickly clean the bottom of the pan from burnt food. The onion is cut into several parts, placed in a pan, filled with water and boiled for ten to fifteen minutes.

Kefir

Restore the former shine to time-blackened aluminum kitchen utensils Kefir will help (alternatively you can use yogurt).

Special compositions for washing

When there is no time to search for cleaning methods with folk remedies, household chemicals will help quickly restore the shine and gloss of aluminum cookware. TOP most effective means:

Gel Dr. Beckmann

A product that effectively dissolves stubborn carbon deposits and grease. Penetrating deep into the dirt, the gel cleans surfaces as quickly as possible, while maintaining their smoothness and integrity. Suitable for cleaning dishes made of any materials (including aluminum). The average cost is 750 rubles. (volume 375 ml).

Schumannite

Shumanit grease and carbon remover - a concentrated grease remover will clean grease, soot, and burnt food stains in a matter of minutes from aluminum pots and pans.

The sprayer helps to use the product economically. All you need to do is treat the stain, wait one minute, and rinse the surfaces under running water. The average cost is 440 rubles. (volume 400 ml), 550 rub. (volume 500 ml).

Before using any chemical, it is a good idea to read the manufacturer’s instructions.

What to wash with?

Unfortunately, aluminum pots and pans do not have a non-stick coating, because very quickly the walls and bottom of the dish are covered with:

• stains of burnt food,
• scale,
• soot,
• thick layer of fat.

Each type of contamination has its own cleaning method, knowledge of which will help quickly restore the lost shine and cleanliness of aluminum cookware.

From carbon deposits

Fresh traces of soot that have not had time to stick to the walls of aluminum cookware, Soaking in soapy water will help clean. It's simple: dissolve the shavings of half a bar of laundry soap in two liters of warm water. Soak dirty pans and pots in the resulting solution (for at least half an hour). Afterwards, the dishes are washed under running water.

To clean old black carbon stains, you need to use the boiling method.

Scale

Hard tap water leaves a layer of scale on the walls of the dishes. Clean off plaque with hard brushes (scratches will remain on soft metal). Ammonia will help restore the lost shine to aluminum pans and pots.

It's simple: 10 drops of ammonia, 1 tbsp are dissolved in two liters of warm water. baking soda and 1 tbsp. soap shavings. Rub the resulting product onto the stains, leave for five minutes, then rinse off under running water.

Traces of fat, including old fat

You won’t be able to quickly clean a greasy aluminum pot or frying pan with abrasive powders or the usual aggressive chemicals. The result of such cleaning is completely damaged dishes.

To remove a layer of grease and restore the shine and gloss of kitchen utensils, you need to use the soaking method.

It's simple: dissolve 1 tbsp in two to three liters of warm water. liquid detergent. Dirty dishes are dipped into the resulting solution and left to soak for at least half an hour. Afterwards, the cleaned containers are rinsed under running warm water.

An old, ingrained layer of fat can be removed by boiling in water with citric acid and vinegar. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions (100 ml each), added to a container of water (at least five liters). The dirty dishes are boiled in the resulting solution (at least half an hour). After this procedure, the ingrained layer of fat will quickly move away from the walls of aluminum pots or pans.

What should you not use and why?

Aluminum is a very soft metal. To maintain the appearance of aluminum cookware, During the cleaning process, it should not be actively rubbed with metal brushes..

Do not clean aluminum cookware with alkaline and acidic solutions. These substances, entering into a chemical reaction with aluminum, oxidize it (cooking food in such dishes is dangerous to health).

Adviсe

You can only clean aluminum cookware that has cooled down. Otherwise, sudden temperature changes will cause the soft metal to deform. After aluminum cookware is cleaned to a shine, it must be dried. Otherwise, indelible drips and stains will remain on the shiny surface.

To avoid damaging soft aluminum, cookware rub only with special foam sponges or bamboo napkins.

Vinegar will help lighten darkened aluminum kitchen utensils.It is enough to wipe the dark stains with a soft cloth soaked in a vinegar solution (9%) and then rinse the product under running water.

Sour apples restore shine to a darkened product. All you need to do is rub the dishes with an apple cut and they will shine like new again.

Video on the topic of the article

The video will show you how and how to clean an aluminum pan from grease and carbon deposits:

Conclusion

Numerous available tools and household chemicals will help maintain the original appearance of aluminum cookware for many, many years.